The Charlotte Democrat., 1887-07-22
The Cost of Typhoid Fever and the
Mortality from Tt.

Jones, M. D., of Tarboro, N. c., President
of the State Board of Health, read before
the conioint session OF the Board OF
Health of North Carolina and the Medl-
cal Society at their sessions at Charlotte
in May, 1887:
"M. Bertiloo, an eminent statistician OF
France, estimated in 1853 the typhoid
| mortality of twelve large European cities
at 81 for each II, 900, viz: London, Paris,
Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Glasgow,
Brussels, Copenhagen, Christiana and
Madgeburg. Taking this as an average
typhoid mortality for all Europe, with a
population in round numbers, OF about
800, 100000, it has fifteen million cases OF
sickness and an annual mortuary loss OF
one million five hundred thousand deaths
from typhoid fever.
| DIR. John Simons, medical health otticer
of the Local Government Board of Eng
land, gives it as his well-established con-
viction, which is accepted as substan-
TALLY correct by English writer's, that In
each year the deaths in England were
fully 125, 900 more than they would be it
existing knowledge OF the chief causes OF
disease as affecting the masses OF the
population were reasonably we'll applied
Sir James Paget thinks, from the
study of reliable data, that the annual loss
of time by sickness for the entire English
people is one-fortieth of the work done, or
nine DAYS In year for each man, woman
and child between the ages OF sixteen aud
sixty-five years. This would be an an
nual loss of time by sickness for the whole
kingdom of about 10000 weeks. At IS
per week, an annual loss of 500, 900,
not counting cost of sickness.
This distinguished sanitarian further
says that annually there are $4,000
cases of typhoid fever, with 1000 deaths,
in England and Wales, from this disease.
Estimating the sickness at ten weeks du-
ration, we have an annual loss of $780,.
900 weeks work, not counting the loss
by death, from this disease alone.
Let US now make some inquiries as to
the cost of sickness and death as it affects
, the financial condition of our own coun
try. Our estimates can only be compare
tive, and the study of one disease must
serve our purpose to-day. We select ty'
phoid fever because it is common to all
countries, because of the heavy mortuary
tax it lays, it's known nature, its decrease
? and disappearance as pure water Is sup
piled and excreta and filth are removed
Consequently the loss which it represents
|, can be almost entirely prevented, as has
been done in many other preventable dis
eases, viz: by proper sanitary measures.
1n our estimates we shall consider the
duration of each case Of sickness at thirty
days, the cost of nursing at one dollar q
, day, the cost Of medical attention and
, medicine at three dollars a day, the loss
of wages at one dollar day, the loss by
death of a citizen at two thousand dollars
and his burial expenses fifteen dollars
. making the loss OF one case of typhoid
fever one hundred and fifty dollars, anG
} in case of death, the loss of the citizer
and burial expenses two thousand and
fifteen dollars, making the sum total iol
sickness and death twenty-one hundred
and sixty-fve dollars.
We find the average mortality OF the
United States to be about the same al
: that of Europe-6ve deaths to each ter
thousand people annually. Assuming
? that the population of the United States
has been fifty millions for the last ter
years, it has lost by death annually two
hundred and fifty thousand of it's citizens
and if ten recover to each death, and two
=. million five hundred thousand cases o
!, sickuess-making the money lose for ty
phoid fever alone $40O,O 900.
7 In consideration of the accredited
healthiness of North Carolina, and to re
lieve ourselves of any risk of foverestimate
: instead of the European death rate from
typhoid fever of five to each 10000, W.
shall assume onehalf that rate, 81 tC
p each 10000 for our State, which has
0 population of one and half millions.
s At one-half the European morLuary es
innate, she looses by death annually 7,50t
of her citizens, with 75,O 900 cases OF sick
ness, at a cost of 81, 900, 600 for the death
and S., 100000 for sickness, making a sun
+ total of annual loss from typhoid fever ii
8 money value to the State of about $l3
! 100000.
. Edgecombe county, with population
1 of 26, 900, has an annual death loss from
? this fever of IS of her citizens, with 65
i cases of sickness, making the sum total O
I loss by death aud sickness from this d
sease, in round numbers, about $4,000
Q annually.
Wake county, with a population of 4s
900, loses annually by this disease 100 @
}, her citizens, with !, 200 cases of sickne Of
: the sum total of her losses by deaths an
sickness being about 100000.
< Mecklenburg county, with a population
of $4,000, has an annual death loss Q
about IS, with $50 cases of sickness, max
= ing the sum total Of loss from this dseas
: in money value about Sl45, 900.
DR.. Billings, in reference to the entir
United States, says: cit can be show
that the direct pecuniary loss to the couu
: try on account of preventabl sickness ant
s mortality is certainly over $1OO,OoO,0O
= annually, and this without taking accoun
:. OF expenditures incurred on account q
l. sickness, or the usual loss due to great eE
l. idemics, both from waste of life and iniur
3 to commerce.
= This makes North Carolina lose, frou
sickness and mortality, with population
: Of one and half millions, annually thre
millions of dollars, or two dollars to eac
r citizen. Edgecombe county, with popu
s lation of 26, 900, $4,000; Wake county
f with population of $4,000, 500, 900; Meek
o lenburg county, with population of Sc
/" 900, $73, 900.
s DIR Joseph Jones, in his recently pub
il lished statistics, based upon the record
! of charity hospitals in New Orleans, say
that we may affirm that nearly one-half o
g the deaths in New Orleans during the las
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